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The weather today was excellent for flying, which is odd as we’d been planning to go away today for at least one week, and that’s usually a sure-fire way of ensuring low cloud, wind and general nastiness. We set off from Andreas at 09:35 and returned at 14:35, and in that time we’d been to Newtownards airfield near Belfast to uplift some fuel, then on to Enniskillen Airfield in the south west corner of Northern Ireland.

We had excellent weather throughout the day and other than the Auster’s radio had no major problems. Belfast City and Aldergrove were very accommodating clearing us through the controlled airspace rather than having to drop down to low level whilst still off-shore.

Navigation wise both portable GPS units did an excellent job, and the Skydemon software is much easier to use than PocketFMS.

Newtownards was busy with loads of microlights and training aircraft, and Enniskillen was really quiet, and has a nice cafe.

Yesterday I got back from a week long trip to Deeside Gliding Club at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Unlike last year, the forecast weather for the week was excellent, so we were able to escape the Steam Packet racket and take the Auster.

We still didn’t manage to find any wave lift, where gliders can climb to very high altitudes on the lee side of hills, but at least I had the chance to convert onto the ASW19, which is a step up for me. I flew about 9 hours in total, including 7 in the ASW19. The weather during the first half of the trip was excellent, though there was some thunderstorm activity on Friday.

The trip back from Aboyne to Andreas took 2hrs 20mins, and thanks to the Auster’s new auxiliary fuel tank was done non-stop. Total cost for the there and back element of the trip was just under £300 including landing fees, and was far cheaper than we could have done with the car and boat, and about 10 hours quicker too…

This past weekend I was at Shobdon airfield in Herefordshire getting my tailwheel endorsement (finally!)

Tailwheel aeroplanes fly just like any other aeroplane, but landing and taking off is different due to the main gear being forward from the centre of gravity. The aircraft needs more attention to the rudder than a nosewheel aeroplane. (Similar problem with those flat trolleys at B&Q when you push them instead of pulling!)

I did the conversion on a Citabria, and it was a fun aircraft to fly. Unlike the other powered aircraft I’ve flown the Citabria is a tandem aircraft, meaning the instructor or passenger sits behind the pilot. Getting into the front seat would have been easier had I been a few inches shorter (or a lot more flexible) but once in it the vision over the nose and down both sides is excellent. It’s got a stick instead of a control yoke, and the throttle is mounted on the side wall of the cockpit.

Total time to convert was 4h 50m, and I flew the aircraft solo after 2h 5m. I did a session of circuits at Shobdon on Saturday morning, then we visited a private strip 15 minutes away from Shobdon. Back at Shobdon I did a solo circuit then we headed over to Welshpool looking for some crosswinds.
Finally on Sunday morning I did an hour of solo consolidation. It wasn’t cheap, but a great experience as I was able to operate from tarmac and grass runways at Shobdon, and fly into a private strip, and do some cross county flying too. Shobdon successfully mixes powered aircraft, microlights, helicopters and gliders, a really busy airfield. There’s a cafe and camping site there too. No hassles with liferafts, lifejackets, flight plans or special branch notification either. Fantastic!

In combination with my Aboyne trip two weeks ago I’ve flown about 16 hours this month, and I’m feeling better for it too – currency really does make a difference.

Finally this afternoon I went to see the gliding club on the airfield. Unfortunately they didn’t have an instructor available so I couldn’t get checked out to fly their SZD Junior, but an afternoon in the sun watching the aircraft come and go was a nice way to finish off the weekend there, I even got sunburned in the car on the way back to liverpool…

Our Auster is back in the air, and back home. Now all I’ve got to do is get my tailwheel endorsement and I might be able to fly her!

On Saturday I had my third lesson for the Instrument Meteorological Conditions Rating. This rating will allow me to fly in conditions where visual flight is not possible, and consequently should allow more flexability with trips to and from the island.

Light aircraft with single engines are not ideal for flight in true IMC, but with proper planning the risk can be managed to a sensible level. The rating also reduces the limits for visual flight to 1800m flight visibility outside controlled airspace, and 3000m inside controlled airspace with a Special VFR clearance. The normal “plain” PPL limit is 5000m. The rating also removes the limitation for UK issued PPLs that prohibits visual flight whilst out of sight of the surface – i.e. above an overcast.

I’m finding it quite challenging, but after three lessons totalling 3h 40m, with 2h 30m in simulated instrument conditions (involving semi-opaque glasses called foggles which restrict the view to the instrument panel only) I’ve covered the basics of instrument flight and should be able to move on to some instrument approaches next time. I do need to spend some time revising recovering from unusual attitudes with a partial instrument panel , but so far I’ve been enjoying the experience.